Three Reasons You May Need to Repair or Reset Your Furnace
A furnace can become hazardous when it isn't functioning properly. That's why furnaces have safety mechanisms that shut the furnace off when trouble is detected. Sometimes, the problem is minor, and you can get your furnace going again by pressing the reset button. If the furnace keeps shutting off, call a furnace repair technician to find out why and to make repairs. Here are some reasons your furnace reset button keeps triggering and what furnace repairs could be needed.
1. Restricted Airflow Leads to Overheating
Furnace overheating is a major cause of a furnace shutdown for protective reasons. If your furnace overheats, the blower motor could burn out, or other serious damage could occur. A major cause of restricted airflow is a clogged furnace filter. Check and change the filter before you reset your furnace to see if that fixes the problem.
Other things to look for include blocked airflow around the furnace, such as when you stock boxes and clutter in the space, and blocked vents. A furnace needs adequate ventilation to operate without overheating.
2. Dirty Parts Lead to Strain and Overheating
Another cause of furnace overheating and shutting off for safety reasons is when the furnace parts are dirty. For instance, if the blower is dirty, it won't spin freely. If the motor has to strain to turn the blower, the motor can overheat. This causes the furnace to shut itself down. Simply hitting the reset button won't do anything to fix the problem since the furnace will shut right back down. Instead, the furnace repair technician has to clean the furnace thoroughly and repair or replace the motor if it was harmed due to the strain.
3. Problems With the Flame Cause a Shut Down
If you have a gas or oil furnace and the ignition system isn't working properly, the furnace will shut down to prevent problems with gas or oil buildup that doesn't ignite. This is one reason you shouldn't keep hitting the reset button. If pushing the reset button doesn't start your furnace, then call a furnace repair company to check out the combustion area of your furnace to make sure it's working properly and safely.
The problem could be a faulty part, or the combustion area might be dirty. For instance, the flame sensor might need to be cleaned, but if it's broken, it needs to be replaced. There could also be a problem with the gas line or oil supply that needs to be fixed to get your furnace working again. A furnace repair technician can troubleshoot your system to find the problem and fix it so the reset button stops tripping.
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